


Fighting For Us

by Veridissima



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The 100 (TV) Fusion, AryaxGendry Week, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-14 15:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15392031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veridissima/pseuds/Veridissima
Summary: Arya grew up sheltered in the Ark with her four siblings, so when she comes down to Earth she's ready to discover a new world, and she ends up finding a new best friend, Gendry.Fill for Arya and Gendry Week 2018





	1. Eye Contact

**Author's Note:**

> I bring you a The 100 AU, which I’m not completely sure it makes sense to people who haven’t watched the show; besides there’s also spoilers for the show, but it won’t be obvious to which character on The 100 would it happen to. Short description of the show: the apocalypse happened and some people escaped to space, living in the Ark which has multiple rules to make sure the last of humanity survives, like “one-child” rule to prevent over population.; and without this group’s knowledge, people have survived on the ground.
> 
> Second warning, I do not intend to make this in any way romantic between Gendry and Jeyne or Willow, so don’t worry. If you have read my other stuff, you know I just love writing them as his family :)
> 
> Also this is my fill for the first day of Gendry/Arya Week 2018, which the prompt is “Eye Contact”. So enjoy!! And happy Gendrya Week to all of you!!!

Arya was the second one to be born this way and tonight Robb was less scared than he had been the first time, when Sansa had been born. He still didn’t like seeing his mother in pain, but this time he knew not to offer to get help – there was no help to get besides Dad and he was already here.

“Cat, you can do this,” Dad whispered into her hair as he held her hand and herself against him, just then Robb ventured a look, away from his job of looking over Sansa, but turned his eyes back t his sister quickly after.

Robb went back to tickling his sister and helping her sing, that would cover Mom’s screams. Every time they stopped, even if just for a bit, they could hear another scream, but this time a cry started – a different one.

“Robb, Sansa, come here,” Dad called from the other room, looking in their direction, through the open door, between the rooms. Robb took Sansa’s hand immediately, standing up and walking into their main room.

Dad was still holding Mom, she had her head on his shoulder and she looked tired and sweaty, but she was happy, looking down at their new child.

“Come here,” Dad said with a smile and Sansa ran to their mother immediately, “Be careful,” he warned.

“It’s okay,” Mom answered and Robb was now on his Dad’s other side. “Come meet your sister.”

“Another girl?”

“Yes, Robb.”

“Grey…” Sansa whispered when the baby opened her eyes accompanying another strong cry.

“She has your dad’s eyes,” Mom whispered smiling at Dad, before contracting her face in pain again.

“You okay?” Dad asked worried.

“I’m fine,” she said arranging the sheet on top of her legs. “Why don’t you take our girl and clean her up.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone,” Dad said, but Robb was too distracted with their new baby to hear what else was being said between the adults.

“Sansa, give me your finger,” Robb asked her, taking her hand and then giving it to the new baby who immediately squeezed it. “You did that when you were born.”

“I did?”

“Yes, you squeezed your brother’s finger so hard, that he almost cried,” Dad said turning back to them.

“I did not.”

“I know, I was kidding. But he loved you from the moment he laid eyes on you,” Dad said, “But now get up and help me clean up your sister, after, you can both play with her in your room while I help your mother.”

“Okay,” Robb said, helping Sansa to stand as Dad got the baby, and then he remembered to ask, “What’s her name?”

Dad shared a look with Mom, waiting for her to speak and through a tired smile, she spoke looking at the new baby.

“Arya. Her name is Arya Stark.”

* * *

Gendry’s life didn’t start easily. He didn’t have a father – Mom said he had been a great warrior and had probably died in battle, but that story was never confirmed, there was no way to know for sure what had happened. And then his Mom died too, he was six and there was some disagreement with a neighboring village and they sent the sickness in before a battle and it took her.

Gendry was then raised by the clan, with other children who were victims of war, most of all he grew up with the sisters Jeyne and Willow, who were the daughters of Heddle who had run the trading post – a trade Jeyne intended to follow, as well as training to be a healer. Willow instead had become a warrior, being trained by Brynden and having become his second at the age of eleven.

“Focus, boy,” Brynden yelled at him as he oversaw training. Being a can leader now, it didn’t leave Brynden much time for teaching, but he still liked making time for that, especially since he was leaving for the capitol later today.

Gendry made it towards Willow again, she was already facing two other people.

“You’re too loud, Gendry,” she said, taking cover from his hammer, ending up with him hitting one of the warriors that Willow had been fighting.

“Good move, Willow. And get him to the healer,” Brynden yelled, “Gendry, stay and continue.”

He fought only with Willow now, and she was still the best. Always had been. Once, his tall build had let him overpower her, but now at fourteen, she had learned to use her small build to her advantage, so he had none.

Gendry only needed to keep himself alive and fighting, long enough to distract her and run away.

“You’re a big man, boy. Gonna be taller than me, and you can’t beat a little girl.”

“I can kick your ass to, Brynden,” Willow argued and the conversation threw Gendry off his game, and she hit him with a slash to the leg, just as Brynden said.

“Beat him, and we will see.” Now with Gendry kneeling on the floor, she put her sword to his neck.

“Look into the eyes of your killer. Don’t show weakness,” she whispered to him and with his blue eyes, he looked directly into her. “Really you look at them with those eyes, they may change their minds about killing you?”

“Would you?”

“I would kill you for sure, but I also know how much of an ass you are,” she said with a laugh, extending a hand to help him get up.

“I need to go see your sister now.”

“Stay for a bit. I’m fighting Brynden for your honor.”

“You’ve left me bleeding,” Gendry argued.

“Okay, okay… remind Jeyne that I’ll stop by before I leave.”

Despite what he told her, he didn’t leave immediately, curious to see the fight between Brynden and Willow – it would be a good one. She continued to use her size to her advantage, but he, unlike Gendry, knew how to contra-attack that. He observed them getting a few hits and blows on each other, before the blood started flowing too heavily out of the cut on his leg, and it became a serious possibility that Jeyne would yell at him over risking infection.

“My sister again?” she asked as he entered the healer’s tent, before telling the other healer that she would take him.

“She’s fighting Brynden now.”

“Tiring themselves before they go,” she commented, before starting to look and feel the cut on his leg.

“She told me to tell you that se would stop by before she goes.”

“I would hope so,” she answered. “Your leg is okay – it will heal quickly,” she said as she cleaned it and then moved to the fire to get a knife to close it. “I know the drill, Gendry, I know you don’t like it, just look into my eyes.”

He did as she said, looking directly at her, that’s why he always preferred to be treated by her – she didn’t mock him.

“You’re not going with them.”

“No, Brynden is taking the new trainees. Long time ago, he figured I wouldn’t be a good second.”

“You were a good fighter--”

“So were you. But next to Willow, we’re both bumbling idiots,” Gendry added.

“So you make weapons now. And I heal warriors,” she said with a smile, before patting him on the leg, “You’re all done now.” As always he had been distracted enough to not feel the pain of the heat on his leg, so now ready, he got up and went to his forge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise tomorrow there will be more Arya and they will actually interact!! Also let me you need more details about The 100 for the story to make more sense


	2. Caught Red-Handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second description, in The 100, one hundred minor prisoners are sent down to Earth to see if the ground is survivable. This is actually the show’s premise :)
> 
> Second day of the week, “Caught Red-Handed”, as always enjoy the week and this day’s drabble. Enjoy!!

Arya didn’t like feeling useless, she really didn’t – they had always been a team, each with their job, they had always done that at home, her parents organizing them, so each could play a part. And when the five of them were sent to prison, they continued working like that – always as a team.

Now Robb was a leader, or at least trying to and bumping heads with the non-real Targaryen siblings, Rhaenys and Aegon. Jon had joined him now that he had come down here too, or sometimes helping Daenerys with any mechanical stuff. They were so distracted with everything, that Robb still didn’t even realize that his siblings were still the Stark weirdoes.

Sansa was still looking over Rickon and now some of the other younger delinquents as well. While Bran had made himself useful with Daenerys and Myrcella, making bombs, explosions and alcohol – he had always loved watching Mom work. She had been a great chemist, that was what she had trained for, and then they all happened and she made it seem like she was too sick to work outside the room; but she still worked in their room at times – Catelyn was good and while it wasn’t normally accepted to do experiments in their own quarters, an exception was opened for her (she wasn’t good enough to open an exception when they found out she had had more than one child).

Arya didn’t do any of those things, and Robb wouldn’t even let her stand guard, but she was smart, she knew how to escape (she had done it a few times in the Ark – escaped their room, which always got her in trouble, but it was also always worth it).

Arya wasn’t sure what she was going to do outside… she knew it was dangerous to be here but she could be careful. While Arya thought that, she had never been particularly careful, so it wasn’t that surprising when she ended up rolling down a hill. The surprising thing was that she couldn’t get up, normally when she fell, she would get up immediately, not caring for cuts and bruises, but this time it wasn’t just a bruise, her foot was looking weird after having fallen against the rocks at the bottom, and it was hurting way more than any cut or bruise she had ever gotten in their room.

She couldn’t walk home now and it was getting dark and she needed some place to hide for the night, she looked for a cave somewhere close, a place she could hop to; and not too far away, she found one where she could hopefully rest. Her plan was to stay at the entrance, but for some reason she changed her mind and walked deeper into the cave – it wasn’t empty as she expected, there were a few things around, not much but some… weapons – a huge hammer and a couple of knives – a put out fire and a notebook. She reached for the latter, but moved closer to the hammer – it was huge, probably bigger than Rickon – she was too curious, that she put down the notebook and then tried to pick up the hammer, she could barely move it an inch, so she pulled on it harder. It still didn’t leave the ground, but the handle dipped and fell clearly on her other foot – having now two hurt feet – but at least it was distracting her from the pain she was feeling before.

Arya had kept herself from screaming before, but not now – the thing was heavy and she couldn’t get it out of her foot. Now it would truly be impossible to walk, hopefully someone would show up soon… but maybe she shouldn’t have wished that…

Someone showed up, a man, a grounder, she supposed – she hadn’t seen a grounder before but it fit the descriptions she had heard. He was a wearing a lot of clothes, mostly leather, fur and pelt, and he had a tattoo peaking from his neck and covering part of his face.

He said nothing, but walked directly up to her, he looked mad at her, and Arya was trying to hold herself straight, ready to fight, reaching for one of his own knives, ready to attack if needed; but then he didn’t attack, he just got closer and picked up his hammer (with such ease, like it weighted nothing).

“Thank you,” she said, but she still held the knife, a bit tighter when he didn’t answer, “Hey! I was talking to you.” He didn’t answer again and pushed her to the ground.

“Hey, stop!! What are you doing?! People will come for me,” she yelled, trying to quickly aim her knife to his neck. But he picked it up immediately from her hand and threw it far away. “What are you doing?!” she yelled again, as he pulled her leg up, and looked at her feet – maybe he was a pervert who liked feet. He turned her foot on his hand while she still tried to fight him, kicking him with the other leg, while she yelled every other insulting word she knew.

_Did he even speak English?_ she wondered, just before feeling a sharp pain on her foot, and then relief – she looked at her foot on his hand and saw that he had set it back together, and now with enough strength, she tried once again to kick him on the face, but he caught her leg again.

“Just let me go,” she kicked him again.

“You really shouldn’t fight people bigger than you,” he finally spoke.

“Then I wouldn’t get to fight anyone,” she answered, immediately getting free of him. “Why didn’t you speak before. Are you stupid or something?” she asked.

“You really shouldn’t insult people bigger than you.”

“Is that the only thing you can say?”

“Really, you come here and start going through my things and I’m the stupid one.”

“It was night and I was hurt.”

“That means snoop on other people’s things where you come from.”

“No,” she said, “but we also don’t leave things unattended and expect no one to take it or at least touch it.”

“Here on the ground, we don’t do that, sky girl.”

And now, Arya had caught him too – he knew who she was, he had been spying on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re wondering how Jon came to Earth, since he did not come with the Starks, I have this drabble on tumblr – [here](thestagthatlovedthewolf.tumblr.com/post/174957336960) (Also a lot of “Kabby” feelings in that one)


	3. Eavesdropper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today, I bring you day four, “Eavesdropper”, from this amazing week :) I hope you’re enjoying this and all the amazing other works coming from everyone :D
> 
> Also this one really builds on the show, but I don’t want to say much, in case you want to watch it some day; so just so you know there’s now a village on the ground of people from the Ark, and that that are various clans, for example Skaikru (the people from the Ark), Trikru (which Gendry, Jeyne and Willow belong to) and Ice Nation/Azgeda.

Arya didn’t know how things could go from good to wrong so quickly. And all because Farm Station was back. It wasn’t like they were all bad. Jojen and Meera, who had come down as part of the hundred, were Farm Station; and Jojen had now gotten to reunite with his father (while Meera discovered that her parents were dead). Howland Reed had even known Arya’s father, so he had shared a few stories about him with them. But then there was a Rickard Karstark, who had also been friends with Dad and had stories to share, but had also started creating problems with Willow.

Willow had been with then since Mount Weather, the battle where she had gone against the commands of her leader. Gendry had opposed too and stayed for the battle at Arya’s side, but he had been accepted back into Trikru after the first moon. Willow hadn’t. Willow was Brynden’s second and her disobedience had consequences; besides she was their best warrior, many of the other clans appreciated that she was no longer something for them to worry about, with a kill order on her head, she was no longer a threat.

After a while everyone got used to her being at camp, and to Gendry and Jeyne coming by at times, sometimes a few times a week. Willow and Gendry helped train the guards in hand-in-hand fighting, while Jeyne was an extra pair of hands in the infirmary, with a precious knowledge of medicinal plants, that she had been teaching Elia. Then Farm Station appeared with their Ice Nation horror stories, that made people forget the alliance carefully forged for the last three moons.

“Arya, I didn’t know how much more I can hold you,” Gendry muttered from under her, as she stood on his shoulders.

“I’m small, you can take the weight.”

“I could if you stopped moving.”

“I’m trying to hear better,” she said as she tried to get closer to the window to the Chancellor’s office where Elia and Ashara were meeting with Karstark.

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know, stupid. I can’t hear. Get me closer,” she asked, “But I think Ashara wants to punch Karstark. Elia is the only thing stopping her.”

Gendry laughed at that, Ashara got frustrated easily, but he had learned that she normally only got really angry when it was something related to Jon, like when he and Robb decided to leave camp in a not-authorized mission to search for Rhaenys. Not that Ashara didn’t leave for those all the time, coming back to a heartbroken Elia, with no news of her daughter.

“He’s saying something about Willow,” she said, “Ashara is getting more mad – she’s shutting up Karstark now,” Arya continued, “she’s talking nice about you, enough that would make you blush.”

“I haven’t really done much.”

“Elia is now announcing all the lives Jeyne helped save. They are not letting him speak, but Elia still looks calm, but with a deadly look,” Arya continued her description.

“What are you doing?” a voice startled them, almost making Gendry drop her.

“Nothing,” Gendry answered.

“Trying to listen to your mother and Elia and Karstark,” Arya answered to Jon and her brother.

“Anything?”

“Your mom wants to kill him, but they are just trying to defend Willow, Jeyne and Gendry’s positions here,” she answered, before slapping Gendry’s shoulder and asking him to put her down – he easily lifted her from his shoulders and put her on the ground.

“I do not like him,” Jon said.

“He was friends with Mom and Dad,” Robb answered and Arya rose her eyebrows at him.

“So what?! He’s still an asshole. His people threw a rock at Willow and he defended them.”

“Is she okay?!” Jon asked immediately.

“Yes, Elia checked her,” Gendry answered, “but she’s still with Jeyne.”

“What about you?” Robb asked and Gendry told him he was okay. “I can try to speak to him. He was friends with Dad, and Dad trusted him, he can’t be all bad,” Robb argued, “And he hasn’t hurt you.”

 “I’ve been keeping away from them.”

“They’re scared of you,” Jon said, “Willow is way more deadlier, but you’re scarier.”

“I’m the tall guy with the face tattoo,” Gendry said, “Maybe I should leave, make things easier.”

“You shouldn’t have to leave because of assholes, they should just learn to behave with respect,” Arya answered.

“I won’t leave now, but maybe I’ll have to,” Gendry told her, but she didn’t want to hear more of this topic. Gendry was her best friend and they belonged together – he was staying.

“We’re going to take the guard shift on the East Wall,” she said, pulling on Gendry and changing the subject. “We’ll relieve Dany and Mormont. I’m sure engineering is needing Dany – Bran was working on some impressive things before.”

Arya walked next to Gendry as they made their way through camp, letting the previous pair leave, before assuming their places in the defense lines, walking back and forth, mostly in silence, until she spoke.

“You really don’t have to leave. You and Willow and Jeyne can have a home here.”

“I know that you feel like that, Arya, but not everybody agrees.”

“I could go with you. I’m-- I was Brynden’s second.”

“You belong with your people, Arya.”

“They are not my people, Gendry. They never cared for me. They floated my parents, they left me trapped under the floor.”

“Your brothers and sister are your people,” he reminded her of something she already knew.

“Sansa is not here. She’s in Polis with Margaery, and Rickon is with her,” she said, “and Bran is always busy with Jojen or Meera, or Dany. Especially since Myrcella is not really okay right now.” Myrcella hadn’t been the same since she lost Trystane in Mount Weather, closed off in her room, barely leaving her bed. “And Robb has more important things to worry about than me. He’s still worried sick about Rhaenys, like he has been for the last three months.”

“Another reason why Robb needs you, Arya. You’re here with them, and I’ll always be with you too. But I won’t have you leave.”

“So I won’t let you leave either. You belong here,” Arya made this promise to Gendry, sealing it with a handshake.

Then two days later, in the morning, it was announced Karstark had won the election. Neither Elia nor Ashara who believed in peace with the grounders were leaders, he who wanted to fight and kill grounders for the good and protection and his people was. That same morning Ashara found them finishing their patrol on the south part of the camp and told Gendry to go.

“Gendry, go to your people. I need you to warn Brynden and Margaery, the Commander, of what happened.”

“Jeyne? Willow?”

“They are safe. I’ll make sure of it, they are under my protection,” Ashara promised, “Karstark won’t hurt them. They’re young woman.”

“I’m going with you,” Arya said and Gendry laughed.

“You’re not, your brother would kill me,” he answered, taking Arya’s arm. “You stay with your people, you protect your people, you once told me that Jeyne and Willow were also your people.”

“They are. They will be safe,” Arya promised, “May we meet again.”

“May we meet again,” he repeated as he climbed through the wires of the fence and walked into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Kabby is my The 100 OTP, so that one will start popping up here more often :)


	4. It's a Sign

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually the prompt from day three, “It’s a Sign”, that in the order of things in this story, fitted better after yesterday’s prompt, and since I’m not doing the prompt for day five, I thought it would be okay for me to post it today
> 
> Once again enjoy!!! And Happy Gendrya Week!!!

This was it. This was Arya’s moment, this was what she could do. Arya could fight, she could fight without fire weapons, she could fight with weapons.

“Arya, if you don’t want to do this…” Ashara started.

“You’ll do what?! Fight in the conclave yourself, you would battle twelve warriors yourself, you would kill yourself.”

“Then Elia would kill us for letting you do something stupid,” Sansa said, “My sister can win. Arya can win.” Arya smiled at that; when they had been young, it wasn’t often that Sansa offered unwavering support.

“It needs to be me,” she nodded.

A man came into the room after those words, and yelled for the room to be cleared, only two for each clan’s champion.

“Only two can stay,” she translated to her siblings, since the man had only spoken in Trigedasleng, a language that her siblings and the Daynes couldn’t properly speak, even if Sansa and Ashara could understand a few words.

“I have to stay,” Ashara apologized, “as an ambassador.”

“Rickon and I will go,” Sansa said immediately.

“I want to stay,” Rickon argued.

“You go with Sansa. You don’t need to be here,” she said, kneeling to his height and pulling him for a hug, and sharing with him words of love.

“Be safe, Arya,” Sansa said, coming forward to hug her sister, “Live. Please, Arya, I can’t lose anyone else,” she whispered, “I believe in you.”

“The people you love normally win Conclaves, right?!” Arya whispered into her shoulder, before regretting it when she heard the deep intake of air Sansa took when thinking of Margaery. “Sorry…”

“Live, please, Arya.”

“I will, Sansa,” she promised, and Sansa left after giving her another kiss on the forehead.

“Robb, you should go with them. Jon will stay.”

“You sure?” Jon asked.

“Yes. Robb, I’ll see you soon,” she said, “But if I’m not here when Bran comes back, tell him to be strong and smart, because he’s going to need to save us all,” she whispered, thinking of Bran who hadn’t left Arkadia, staying back to make sure Jojen and Meera could count on him if they needed.

“You tell him. You, win,” he pleaded, “May we meet again,” he said giving her another kiss on the top of her head.

“He should stay,” Jon argued as he looked at Robb leaving the room.

“If something bad happens, I don’t want him to see me die. None of them,” she said, “I don’t want you to see me die either, but your mother is here. Worst case scenario I see my own mother and father tonight.”

“Arya,” she heard a voice behind them, and then found Gendry there. “I have to leave too.”

“Be safe,” she said, jumping to his arms.

“I will. I don’t know what to wish for. Why should only one clan survive? When we have space for more than one…” he asked her, but she had no answer.

“Gendry…”

“Be safe, okay?”

“Okay. See you soon,” she said with a smile, before he left. The room was now mostly empty, left with just the fighters and their people.

“Arya,” another voice called.

“Brynden.”

“You will fight well today, Arya,” he said, “I know you will, I trained you,” he said, letting his eyes focus on the markings on her face.

“You don’t think she would mind, would she?” Arya asked, feeling his eyes on her face.

“No, she loved you like a sister. She would fight today if she was here,” he spoke with grief for his second-in-command.

“She would have beaten me.”

“She would, maybe you have a better chance today, because of that,” he said. “It was to be hers, but today is yours,” he said, offering her a sword.

“Brynden…”

“It’s yours,” he said, “May you have a good death.”

“You won’t die,” Jon said as Brynden moved away.

“Ashara, I won’t let them die. If I win, I won’t let them die.”

“I understand, Arya. When you win, I will stand next to you.”

“Thank you,” she said, hugging the older woman, who she still held so many conflicted feelings towards. The woman who loved Jon above anyone else; the leader of the guard on the Ark, the one who enforced the law; the woman who accepted Gendry, Jeyne and Willow in Arkadia first, without questions or side looks; the woman who floated her parents; the woman who fought for peace and unity…

Jon moved in front of her, holding onto her shoulder, like he had done a million times when she was mad and wanted to leave her family’s quarters up in the sky.

“Be smart, Arya,” he said, “You don’t need to kill all twelve warriors, you need one kill, the last one. Hide, Arya, under the floor like always.”

“I’ll try, Jon, but I can’t run from the fight.”

“You just need to survive, like always, Arya.”

“I will, Jon.”

“Be safe, little Arya,” he said, ruffing her hair like he had done a million times before, as goodbye when he left their rooms, as a reassurance when they had to hide. “May we meet again.”

“May we meet again,” she repeated the words. Her last ones, before she was called to take her place on the streets.

She traded looks with the other warriors, some she knew, some she didn’t, but all would be capable fighters, trained in this since they were children. Then she looked at Lommy, carrying the same mark as her – a Triku sign on a Skaikru and Azgeda opponents – the mark of someone they had loved and lost.

Willow’s mark on her forehead and the Skaikru flag flowing behind her, and then the sun disappearing under the horizon was the sign for the battle to start and to fight for a better future.


	5. Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day five today, which brings us “dancing” as prompt :) To fans of The 100, “The Dark Year” made me change this a bit, but still lighter than canon for that show (also no big spoilers, I kept everything pretty general, I just couldn’t ignore that new info). 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!!

Everyone knew something was happening or about to happen. Everyone knew that they had been dancing around each other for months now.

It wasn’t always like that. When they first went underground, Gendry had been her best friend, the person she trusted the most besides her siblings and Jon (with four of the five of them stuck in space – she really needed him), but it hadn’t been romantic. Arya was young and after she had seen the pain Sansa had gone through with losing Margaery, she didn’t even want to think about it.

Now years had passed, they were older, and he was still here… and things started to change. Arya started noticing how handsome Gendry was, and then she noticed how he started acting around her, different from how it was before, from how he was with other girls in the bunker. Gendry didn’t know that she had noticed these things. Gendry only knew that slowly he had started to see Arya differently too. He had stopped seeing her as the young teen he and Willow had trained into a warrior, she was a young woman now – still strong, fierce, stubborn and strong willed, but there was now something different he noticed too.

Gendry lifted his head immediately from what he was doing when he heard her come into the engineering room, asking the chief engineer if she could take Gendry for a few moments.

“What’s happening, Arya?” he asked, worried, when he had leave from the Chief (it wasn’t like he could say no to their leader). Arya didn’t come and take him from his job often, it was important for everyone to work and pull their weight – Gendry liked this new skill he had learned in the bunker. Normally Arya would just wait for him to find her after his shift was finished.

“I got the new inventory notices. Ashara is going over them now and things are not looking good,” she said, “We were only suppose to have five years… the choices I’ve made, since the day Elia tried to open the hatch and couldn’t, have bought us some time, but not enough, we’re running out.”

He had seen these discussions over the years, he had seen them lead to impossible decisions, choices that had left Arya broken, things that they would forever live with and that none of them wanted to ever think of doing again. Lately one of the departments was always low on something, but Arya was always hopeful that they would find something, that they could find something to fix it. Today, she looked broken from the start, no hope left in her.

“I don’t know if there are more solutions, Gen. Ashara is freaking out because a culling is seeming to be our only option now. I promised myself I would never do it,” Arya said.

“I can’t do anything…”

“You can be there and you may know how we’re going to share this with everybody,” she said, “and stand by me as I say we need to share the information.”

Gendry followed Arya and as he usually did, now his hand resting softly on her lower back. Arya rested into the comfort of his hand, as he lead her to her office. Arya walked in after a knock on the door. Elia and Ashara looked up for just a few seconds from papers they were looking over on the couch – trying to make sense of this new knowledge. As they normally did when in the same room, they were touching each other, Ashara played with the tips of Elia’s hair and she had her hands high on Ashara’s thigh, Arya wasn’t even sure if they realized they were doing it.

Brynden stood on the other side of the room, looking over another paper, something Gendry supposed as a map of the bunker – he always did that, trying to figure out a way out, especially after they hit the five year mark.

“Still can’t find anything,” he murmured.

“Arya, this really doesn’t look good,” Ashara spoke, “This time, I don’t know…”

“Don’t say it, Ashara.”

“I don’t want it anymore that you,” she answered, and Elia took her hand.

“We’re not killing our people!!” Arya yelled, reminding everyone that she was the leader and not anyone else.

“What do you call the fighting pits then?” Ashara asked, now with a quieter voice.

“Ashara, you floated people,” that was her answer. “We’re not going this path again. At least I’m not killing people for having a second child or stealing an extra piece of bread because their children are starving. And I’m giving them a chance to fight for their lives, not everyone dies,” she argued. Things hadn’t been easy with Ashara since they came down, and it had become harder since they had been forced to do what they did in the Dark Year. “So either you stop this conversation or you leave the room.”

“What do you think we should do?” Elia asked, stepping forward and easing the tension, “Lowering rations even more would be complicated. Or we could reintroduce--”

“No!!” Arya yelled again, “After the crops were good I promised my people that they would never have to do that again, I let them heal, Elia, I’m not doing that again,” she said. “Lowering rations is possible, then?”

“For some,” she answered, “No children – they’re growing and that could have a serious impact – it can’t go lower than it already is.”

“Okay.”

“I would need to study everyone to see who could eat less. People with more physical demanding jobs should have priority over others. But I should study case by case,” she said, before sharing a look with Ashara, “People won’t like that, some eating more than others.”

“You can speak, Ashara,” Arya said, giving her permission to share her opinion.

“Maybe going back to segregated meals, by how much they eat. It would make it easier to the cook as well, serving the same to everyone in that group, and it will make it harder to figure out that rations are not the same for all.”

“I don’t plan to keep secrets from the people.”

“I know, but there will be riots.”

“I know, but I’ll make them listen to me. And violence and riots are punishable by fighting in the pits,” she answered, before moving to previous issue, “How much time will the rationing buy us?”

“Some, not enough,” Elia said.

“I should talk with Davos – he’s in charge of the farm,” she said, before turning to Brynden and Gendry, “What do you think?”

“The clans won’t like if one has less food than others,” Brynden said, “they won’t accept it.”

“We’re Wonkru,” she argued, “there aren’t multiple clans to argue.”

“Arya, we all know that there are still clans,” Brynden answered.

“They will have to learn to deal with this,” she said, “I’m calling the Council tomorrow afternoon. Brynden, Ashara, let the other ambassadors know. And someone talk with Davos, I need to see him in the morning,” she gave her orders, before giving them leave, and it was now her and Gendry alone in the office.

She dropped on the couch with him, resting her head on his shoulders – he was the only person, besides Rickon, she let her armor fall.

“What do you think?”

“It will be bad. There have already been cases of malnourishment – Jeyne has said it’s awful to see… not as bad as before, but bad,” Gendry said, “You tell Elia that I’m on the list to have my meals cut down.”

“Gendry…”

“I’m not arguing. She will cut hers and Ashara’s too, which can’t be good. Try to have Elia not include herself – after what happened she needs strength.” He meant her fight with the pill addiction, of course, but he wouldn’t say it, the idea was for Arya not to know; if she officially knew, she would have to punish for stealing medical supplies.

“You think I’m being too hard on Ashara and Brynden.”

“I think you’re frustrated with the situation,” he said as she lay down her head on his lap, his hand resting on her head. “I think you know that she doesn’t take people reduction lightly.”

“I can’t do it, Gen. I was suppose to save these people, instead we’re here.”

“Alive, Arya. There would probably be less 900 people alive if you hadn’t made the choice you did.”

“We die six years later then, we die after everything we’ve done. We have a long death instead of a quick one by fire.”

“Arya, we’re going to be okay,” he said, she could listen to the hope in his voice, something that had been rare before – he had been the one to always prepare for the worst.

“Why? How?”

“I really don’t know… but I believe in you,” he promised.

“I believe in you too,” she said, raising her body, leaving her face close to his, something that they had avoided lately. “I believe in us,” she whispered and then she kissed him – it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, worries of death and hunger left her mind, her focus was now on the kiss – the way his lips felt, the way his hand cradled her head, while the other squeezed her hand.

It was a good kiss. It wasn’t like she had much to compare it too. She had kissed one of the delinquents before, but that was a peck and nothing special – this was Gendry. He pulled away moments after and she could read on his face that he was ready to apologize.

“Don’t you dare,” she whispered, “Don’t you dare apologize.”

“Arya…”

“Just kiss me again,” she said, pulling him to her lips once again.

His kisses were freedom, but they were more than that – trust and happiness, comfort she always felt with Gendry. But there was something else, another feeling (sometimes she felt it too when they were training together and he took off his shirt).

“Arya,” he whispered again, moving his lips away from hers, as his hand touched her cheek and moved her short hair out of her eyes. “Beautiful,” he said the words he had never told her before, but wanted to for awhile.

“Gendry…”

“It’s true. Just like you’re strong, resilient, smart and caring.”

“Those are definitely more useful to leading.”

“They are, and you use all of your strengths well.”

“And I have you,” she said, with a smile. “Thank you, Gendry, for everything – the kiss and always being here.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a smile, just before turning to his shy posture again, and she nudged him, enough support for him to speak again. “Would you liked to do something together? The two of us, no work, no worries.”  

That proposal seemed as appealing as it was impossible, but she still nodded and gave him a quick kiss.

“Yes, I would like that,” she said, “but you should probably go; kept you from work too long. And I need to look over the papers again.”

“I understand,” he said, getting up, but taking the chance to kiss her one more time, with a smile.

“Come over tonight. Have dinner with Rickon and I.”

“I will,” he promised before leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not as dark, right?! Lighter bunker stuff. I mostly kept it as it was before I watched the episode, just added a bit more pain and guilt about the things they had to do. So it’s pretty much part of it happened (the general idea of what they had to do to survive), other things didn’t happen…


	6. That's Not What I Meant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last day of this AMAZING Gendrya week, and for today, the prompt is “That’s Not What I Meant”, I really hope you enjoy this one too :) And thank you all for reading this and thank you so much for organizing this spectacular week every year :D

After six years underground, something like this had been hard to imagine. The green and the sky, so blue, were beautiful – Arya still didn’t understand how this place survived the end of the world, twice. Then there were the laughs – people were laughing… she had missed that sound, people being so carefree and light.

“Hey,” Gendry greeted her, dropping next to her, as they looked towards the path in front of them.

“I didn’t think this could be real,” she whispered, tears threatening to fall – _how long as it been since she dared to cry_.

“We’re okay…” he said, pulling her close to him. “We’re alive, we’re in the valley. We stopped the war.”

“Ashara and Rhaenys stopped the war,” Arya hadn’t been able to do anything. She had tried to negotiate with the blond and purpled eyed man, who led Eligius, but Arthur hadn’t wanted to talk with her. Now there he was on the ground walking around with Ashara planning the future.

“You wanted peace, Arya. You were preparing us for war if it was needed, and you agreed to the compromise when the time came.”

“Was the compromise enough? After everything we had to do to survive, is it acceptable to not expect everything to be ours?”

“Those people fought too, Arya. They came down to everything they knew destroyed.” There were completely broken looks in some of their faces, Arya’s eyes focused on Lysa – she had tried to stop the surrender and the merger between Arya’s people and Arthur’s crew – and now she stood, still in chains, talking with Brynden (nobody knew what they would do with her after her and Arthur’s baby was born). But Arya couldn’t look away, something about that woman reminded her of her mother – something she couldn’t place.

“I never want to lead again,” she admitted, “Leave that for Elia, Ashara, Brynden, even Arthur – he’s taking the position. Let Rhaenys and Robb be leaders again, even Asha if she wants – call her Queen Asha, I don’t care anymore.”

“You don’t need to rule anymore, Arya. If you don’t want to, you don’t need to.” Gendry would make sure of that, he would help her carry the weight – it wasn’t hers alone. The bunker was over… Arya wanted to be Arya. She didn’t want to be anyone’s commander.

“I want to get to know my siblings again,” she pleaded. Her siblings and Jon had been in the sky for too long, and when they came Arya still pulled away – she still needed to be here to lead wonkru, not to be a Stark; and there was Rickon, they had wanted to see their baby brother, who Arya had raised to a teenager, more than being with her.

“You will, Arya.”

“I don’t know how. I don’t know how to be around people that aren’t you,” she whispered.

“You will learn, Arya… We will make it through,” he said. “Your siblings changed too.” Gendry whispered of things Arya still couldn’t notice… she could only see how Robb and Rhaenys had become the leading pair they were before, how he had accepted Rhaenys’ child and had protected Ballerion… What Arya didn’t see was how he make decisions less rashly now, he thought of more than the people he loved.

She didn’t notice how Bran and Sansa were accepted now, no longer they saw themselves as the kids under the floor. But Gendry noticed how comfortable they were with the people they had gone to space with – Sansa always relying on Jeyne or better Jeyne, who as a kid had been expelled from her clan because of the deformations on her nose, had found a sister in Sansa and had learned to trust in people besides Theon. Gendry noticed how Jon had become a leader on his own, no longer following Robb blindly.

Gendry knew Arya would find out these things soon too, but now she was too close. Her pain too raw… So he kept her thinking ahead.

“So what if we go enjoy ourselves?” he suggested, not accepting a _no_ as an answer, so picking on her hand and taking her to show her where Ashara was planning to build the houses and the village – Gendry had heard her plans and dreams and told them to Arya.

“She wants to build a well in the middle so people can meet and talk. She’s building a medical center for Elia too,” he said with a smile, “Hopefully they will let Jeyne use it too; if not, it’s going to be a very empty one.” Arya let out a smile at that and Gendry took that as a good sign and continued the tour.

“Do you know where they will be building the houses?” Arya asked.

“All around… You should talk to your siblings. See where they are setting, so you can be with them.”

“I don’t know if they want me, Gen,” she said, “Will you stay with me?”

“Arya…” He didn’t know if he could ask that of her, he wouldn’t have, but she did.

“You and Jeyne can live with us, near us, whatever we end up deciding…” she pleaded.

“I… I would like that, I would like that very much,” he said with a smile. “Talk to them and let me know what we’re doing.”

“I will,” she said, with a smile now, she took his hand, and moved them away.

When they stopped walking, they were deep into the forest, hidden behind trees and bushes, and Arya pulled him in for a kiss, surprising him; Gendry wondered if it was the right time to kiss her, when she was still in so much pain; but he gave in and kissed her back, before pulling back and murmuring.

“This was not what I meant when I said we should enjoy ourselves.”

“I know, but this is way more fun,” she said and smiled, and then kissed Gendry again and he kissed her back – maybe it was okay to enjoy the happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this!! It was fun to do these little drabbles, covering such a large period of time, and to finally put some things about this huge AU that exists in my head onto paper!! I have three other drabbles in this universe on tumblr and I’ll probably post here in another collection. If you want something in this universe, sent a prompt or a character from either show :)


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